Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Cameroon: Politics and Government

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of 11 Cameroonian politicians at a meeting in Abuja on 5 January; what information they have about Cameroonian secessionist leaders either detained in Nigeria or transferred into the custody of the Cameroonian authorities; whether they have urged the Nigerian and Cameroonian authorities to make clear where the Ambazonian independence leaders are; whether they have any information as to whether those individuals have been charged with a crime, and if so, why; and whether they intend to take steps to establish the whereabouts of those individuals.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Eleven Cameroonians were detained in Abuja on 5 January and returned to Cameroon on 24 January. The Government of Cameroon's Information Minister has publicly confirmed that they have been detained and are awaiting trial but he did not specify the charges. The decisions to detain and extradite these individuals is a matter for the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Government of Cameroon.Minister Baldwin raised our concerns about the situation in the Anglophone regions with Prime Minister Yang and other Cameroonian Ministers on 13 February. We will continue to engage the Government of Cameroon and opposition groups to reiterate the need to exercise restraint, enter into purposeful and inclusive dialogue and take action to reduce tensions.We welcome their assurance that the detainees are being held in good conditions and urged them to allow access by an independent organisation.

Sudan: Undocumented Migrants

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports that Sudanese security officials have been involved in smuggling refugees from East Africa, (2) reportsthat the government of Sudan has been complicit in the illegal sale of Sudanese passports, and (3) how this relates to Sudan’s role as the EU’s partner in countering irregular migration; and whether they have raised those allegations with the government of Sudan.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We raised our concerns about reports that Sudanese Government officials have been involved in the smuggling of refugees from East Africa with the Ministry of the Interior earlier this month, and continue to monitor this issue closely.We are aware of media reports that have alleged a link between individuals with ties to senior Government officials and the illegal sale of Sudanese passports. We will continue to monitor the situation and to discuss passport security issues with the Government of Sudan where appropriate.We will also continue to discuss issues relating to irregular migration from and to Sudan under the umbrella of the Khartoum Process, and through the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue.

Tasneem El-Zaki

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they made to the government of Sudan during the imprisonment of the human rights lawyer Tasneem El-Zaki, after she was jailed for defending rape victims; and what assessment they have made of her statement that "There’s no personal freedom in Sudan”.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Embassy in Khartoum engaged extensively with the Government of Sudan throughout 2017 on the case of Tasneem El-Zaki and the human rights defender Dr Mudawi Ibrahim, both of whom were pardoned and released last year. Improving the human rights situation in Sudan, including urging the Government to respect the constitutional rights of Sudanese citizens, remains a key priority of our bilateral engagement. It is crucial that the people of Sudan are permitted to exercise their right to freedom of expression, including freedom of the media and of political participation, and we continue to make this clear to the Government of Sudan.

Sudan: Human Rights

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Sudan about reports of (1) the beating with an electric rod, during an interrogation in January, of Amal Habani, the co-ordinator of the No Oppression Against Women Initiative in Sudan, and (2) the arrests of human rights activist, Nahid Jabrallah, and Mohamed Aldouma, the president of the Darfur Bar Association.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of allegations made about the treatment of Amal Habani during her arrest, and of the arrests of Nahid Jabrallah and Mohamed Aldouma. The British Government has continually raised the issue of the arbitrary arrest of political leaders and activists and the treatment of those detained following the recent protests in Sudan, and most recently did so at a senior level in a bilateral meeting on 7 February, and publicly through a public statement by EU ambassadors resident in Sudan on 30 January.We continue to call on the Government of Sudan to release all these detainees as soon as possible, and continue to make clear our expectation that all detainees will be treated in accordance with international standards. More widely, we urge the Government of Sudan to implement the recommendations of the National Dialogue that relate to limiting the powers of the National Intelligence and Security Service to arrest and detain individuals.

Religious Freedom

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to advance freedom of religion and belief in (1) Saudi Arabia, (2) Pakistan, (3) Myanmar, and (4) the Central African Republic.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government strongly supports the right to freedom of religion or belief and our views are well known.Saudi Arabia: We regularly raise our concerns with the Government of Saudi Arabia using a range of Ministerial and diplomatic channels of communication, including the British Embassy and through the European Union in Riyadh. We will continue to look for opportunities to work with Saudi Arabia in encouraging greater freedom of religion or belief. We received positive messages from the Saudi authorities on the tolerance of religious minorities and freedom of religion or belief.Pakistan:During his visit to Pakistan in November 2017, the Minister for Asia and the Pacific raised the treatment of religious minorities, including discrimination and violence against the Ahmadiyya Muslim and Christian communities, with Pakistan's Ministry of Human Rights. The Foreign Secretary raised religious tolerance and the importance of safeguarding the rights of all Pakistan's citizens during his visit to Pakistan in November 2016. The UK has supported projects in Pakistan to promote greater tolerance and religious freedom. Pakistan remains a priority for UK development assistance, with programmes designed to improve human rights that include promoting tolerance of religious minorities.Burma: I raised concerns about the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in Burma at the Human Rights Council in September 2017. The treatment of the Rogingya is of particular concern, the Foreign Secretary raised this with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma on 11 February. British Embassy Rangoon has been supporting local projects addressing the drivers of prejudice and inter-communal violence. In 2017 we delivered a two-day inter-faith dialogue and a workshop for civil servants, parliamentarians and non-government organisations.Central African Republic: We are working with the international community, including through the UN peacekeeping Mission (MINSUCA), to support the Central African Republic government's efforts to end the violence and bring about reconciliation and stability. In January, with our UN Security Council partners, the UK also agreed a mandate to sanction individuals who incite violence on an ethnic or religious basis (UN Resolution 2399). Since 2013, the UK has provided £63 million in humanitarian aid for those affected by the violence.

Religious Freedom

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which countries the Magna Carta Fund has been used to support projects to advance freedom of religion and belief.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has used the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy since its inception in financial year 2016/17 to support work to advance freedom of religion or belief in the following countries: Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government

the lord archbishop of canterbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to recent reports of civilian deaths and arrests following the crackdown on peaceful Church protests by the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government released statements on 3 January and 23 January following the deaths of protestors on 31 December 2017 and 21 January 2018. The statements called on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government to investigate and hold accountable security force members who fired on civilians or ordered the use of lethal force. The UK continues to pressure the DRC government to open political space and allow peaceful demonstrations.

Guantanamo Bay: Detainees

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make representations to the government of the United States calling for the release or charging of the remaining 41 detainees held at Guantanamo Bay.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government’s long-standing position is that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should close. We continue to engage with the US Government on this issue, as we do on a range of national security issues and in the context of our joint determination to tackle international terrorism and combat violent extremism.

Israel: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to call for international sanctions to encourage Israeli observance of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child; and if so, what form of sanctions they propose.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government has no plans to call for international sanctions on Israel. We continue to encourage the Israeli authorities to meet their obligations under the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.

Israel: EU External Relations

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment (1) they, and (2) the EU, have made of Israel’s compliance with the conditions in the EU–Israel Association agreements, concerning human rights and democracy.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​While we have not made an assessment of Israel’s compliance with the conditions in the EU–Israel Association agreements, concerning human rights and democracy, the UK is firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and compliance with international law especially in regard to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We have a regular dialogue with the Government of Israel with regard to the implementation of their obligations under international law and regularly and robustly raise our serious concerns on issues relating to Israeli actions in the OPTs.

Laith Abu Naim

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel following the death of an unarmed 16 year-old, Laith Abu Naim.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not discussed this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, the UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) police non-violent protests and the border areas, including use of live ammunition. The Government is very concerned at the numbers of Palestinians killed by Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza. We have raised the issue with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations whether use of live fire had been appropriate. We understand that the IDF are investigating this death.

Department for Education

Pupil Exclusions

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children attending (1) primary, and (2) secondary schools, were (a) temporarily excluded, and (b) permanently excluded, from school, in each of the last three years.

lord agnew of oulton: Table 1, attached, of the National Statistics release ‘Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England 2015 to 2016’ contains the number of primary and secondary school pupils with permanent and fixed-period exclusions. Data for the year 2016/17 is not yet available. The table shows that the rate of permanent exclusions across all state-funded primary, secondary and special schools has increased over recent years, from 0.06% in 2013/14 to 0.08% in 2015/16. The rate of fixed period exclusions across all state-funded primary, secondary and special schools has also increased from 3.50% in 2013/14 to 4.29% in 2015/16. The full release is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2015-to-2016. Data regarding the number of temporary and permanent exclusions for pupils enrolled in independent schools is not held centrally.



Table 1
(Excel SpreadSheet, 31.17 KB)

Construction: Training

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address skill shortages in the construction industry.

lord agnew of oulton: The construction industry needs to attract, retain and develop individuals with the appropriate skills, so it can meet the country’s ambition to build 1.2 million new homes by 2022 and upgrade our infrastructure.The government is working with the construction industry to help meet this challenge, as set out in the construction sector deal announced in November last year. We are reforming technical education and apprenticeships, which will help train the workforce of the future in line with the industry’s needs. The department recently announced reforms to the Construction Industry Training Board, which oversees industry training, to improve its effectiveness and accountability.In the Autumn Budget 2017, we announced a new National Retraining Scheme, including an additional £34 million to help adults retrain and develop the necessary skills to work in the construction industry. We expect to launch this construction skills fund in the coming months.

Children: Education

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the National Children's Bureau,Children missing education, published in January; and what steps they are taking to support Gypsy, Traveller and Roma children who are particularly at risk of missing education.

lord agnew of oulton: Nothing is more important than keeping children safe and in suitable education. That is why in September 2016, the department amended the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, to include further duties on schools to improve the information they provide to local authorities when a child is removed from their roll. This will better enable local authorities to carry out vital enquiries to ensure children are safe from harm.We have a commitment to review the impact of these amendements by September 2019. As part of this review we shall consider the views of all key stakeholders, including the points raised by the National Children’s Bureau in their report ‘Children missing education’.We have engaged with a number of local authorities to gather and share best practice in improving outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) pupils. We plan to explore the barriers to education faced by GRT pupils in discussion with the department’s GRT stakeholder group. We are committed to ensuring that every child, whatever their background, has the opportunity to go as far as their talent and hard work can take them.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Parliamentary Estate: Construction

lord storey: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how many women are employed in construction works (1) on the House of Lords Estate, and (2) for bicameral projects on the Parliamentary Estate.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The House of Commons and the House of Lords are jointly responsible for the Palace of Westminster. The Strategic Estates department is a bicameral department and is responsible for delivering capital investment across the Parliamentary Estate. As at 14 February the department consisted of 64 (47%) women and 72 (53%) men. These staff work on a bicameral basis and it is not possible to allocate specific figures to those working on each part of the Estate. In addition to these staff, as at 14 February there were 2,620 contractor passes issued to the teams responsible for construction works and maintenance of the Palace and other areas of the Parliamentary Estate. Of these, 312 (11.9%) were issued to women.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Lakeside Energy from Waste

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the construction of a third runway at Heathrow will require the closure of the Lakeside Energy from Waste plant; and of the corresponding impact this would have on the 12 councils that use this plant.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Environment Agency (EA) has not yet made a detailed assessment of the effect of proposals to expand Heathrow Airport. Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) is currently working on its detailed proposal and once this is submitted the EA will assess it. The EA will be responding to the first phase of HAL’s public consultation which was launched on 17 January 2018. The EA will not be able to assess the detailed proposals until HAL submit their application for a Development Consent Order, which they expect to do by the end of 2019. Defra is aware of the potential effects of Heathrow’s expansion on local waste management and is monitoring the development.

Livestock Industry: Licensing

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the proposed increase in permit variation fees for the pig and poultry industries is due to (1) staff costs, and (2) IT costs; and whether the entire charge will accrue to the Environment Agency.

lord gardiner of kimble: The proposal under the Strategic Review of Charges is to recover fully the cost of permit variation of which 71% relates to Environment Agency (EA) staff costs (this excludes the cost of Defra staff within Defra Corporate Services which provide and charge the EA for the service). Around 9% of the proposed charge relates to IT provision and support, most of which is provided by Defra Corporate Services. The total charge will accrue to the EA.

Total Allowable Catches

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to use zonal attachments to determine internationally agreed total allowable catches of fish after Brexit.

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the tonnages of the total allowable catches share-out the UK could expect to claim after Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: On leaving the European Union, the UK will become an independent coastal state with responsibility for controlling and managing our Exclusive Economic Zone. This will provide an opportunity to reach new agreements on the sharing of fishing opportunities. On average between 2013 – 2015, other EU Member States’ vessels landed around 750,000 tonnes of fish (£575 million revenue) caught in UK waters per year whereas UK vessels landed 100,000 tonnes (£100 million revenue) of fish caught in other Member States’ waters per year in the same time period.   We will have international obligations to cooperate with other coastal states over the sustainable management of shared stocks; we remain committed to sustainable fishing. We are looking at a range of data to support consideration of future fishing opportunities, including catches and zonal attachment of stocks in the UK Exclusive Economic Zone.

Fishing Catches

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the current discard rates for the major fisheries in the UK; and what assessment they have made of the impact on these discard rates of any changes in the level of total allowable catches after Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: Comprehensive data on the discard rates across different EU fisheries, including fisheries of major interest to the United Kingdom, were published in 2014 by the Scheveningen (North Sea) and North Western Waters regional groups of EU Member States, in the ‘Discard Atlas of North Sea Fisheries’ and the ‘Discard Atlas of the North Western Waters Demersal Fisheries’, respectively. The reports are available at the links below: http://www.nsrac.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/discardatlas_northsea_demersalfisheries_2014.pdf http://www.nwwac.org/_fileupload/CEFAS_Discard%20Atlas%20of%20the%20North%20WesternWaters%20Demersal%20Fisheries_15_12_2014_FINAL.pdf From 1 January 2019 all EU fisheries for species subject to catch limits will be covered by the EU landing obligation. Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for 2019 and beyond will be based on catch advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which will reflect the fact that species subject to the landing obligation will no longer be discarded. The UK Government remains fully committed to sustainable fisheries management which will continue when we leave the EU, with TACs set in line with the science and ending the wasteful practice of discarding.

Home Office

Visas: Skilled Workers

lord green of deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the occupations and salaries of foreign workers for whom restricted certificates of sponsorship under Tier 2 (General) were allocated by the Home Office in the January 2017 allocation.

baroness williams of trafford: The specific information requested is not included in statistics published by the Home Office.The number of restricted certificates of sponsorship granted, and the points threshold, for each monthly allocation since April 2016 is published on the Home Office website:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employer-sponsorship-restricted-certificate-allocations/allocations-of-restricted-certificates-of-sponsorship

Undocumented Migrants: Children

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe estimate by the Thomas Coram Foundation that there are some 120,000 children in the UK without regular immigration status, of whom half were born here; what are their proposals for improving this situation in line with the best interests of the child; and whether free legal advice is, or will be, available to such children who wish to claim citizenship.

baroness williams of trafford: Any non-European Economic Area national child wishing to remain in the UK to settle here must apply for leave under the family Immigration Rules. These Rules give direct effect to the Secretary of State’s statutory duty in section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, to have regard, as a primary consideration, to a child’s best interests in making an immigration decision affecting them.Comprehensive information about applying for citizenship is available on the GOV.UK website. If an individual wishes to seek additional legal advice there are a number of sources available, including regulated immigration advisers. Whether a person is charged for that advice would depend on the organisation concerned and the individual’s situation.

Deportation: Young People

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children with temporary leave to remain after reaching the age of 18 were deported to their countries of origin, in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not hold the data requested in a reportable format. The data requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The Home Office only returns an unaccompanied child with no lawful basis to remain in the UK if it is satisfied that safe and adequate reception arrangements are in place in the country to which they are to be removed.

Deportation: Young People

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment of the best interests of the individual child is provided before a deportation at the age of 18 is approved.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government’s duty under Section 55 of the Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Act 2009 applies to those under the age of 18. In the case of vulnerable adults aged 18 and over, a risk assessment is completed prior to removal or deportation to ensure their safety and security is protected.

Visas: Occupied Territories

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 29 January (HL4714), what assessment they have made of the reasons why (1) their immigration statistics show that 19per cent of Israeli settlers living illegally on Palestinian land were refused entry to the UK in 2017whereas 32per cent of Palestinians were refused entry, and (2) in the last four years the Palestinian refusal rate has been over three times the Israeli refusal rate.

baroness williams of trafford: All applications are assessed on a case by case basis, according to the individual circumstances and against the part of the Immigration Rules which relates to the purpose for which they are seeking entry. The nationality of the applicant only determines whether an application is decided before departure or on arrival.All non-EEA citizens seeking to enter the UK are assessed against the criteria set out in the published Immigration Rules (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules). These are the same regardless of nationality.

HM Treasury

Child Tax Credit

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 25 January (HL4633), how many families have had their tax credits reduced as a result of the two-child limit, in each month, since the introduction of that limit in April 2017.

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 25 January (HL4633), of those families affected by the two-child limit for tax credits introduced in April 2017, how many (1) had one or more parents in work, (2) were lone parent families, and (3) were two-parent families, broken down by month; and what was the number of children involved in each family.

lord bates: The government considered the impact limiting support in tax credits and Universal Credit has on different groups during its development. We published an Impact Assessment during the passage of the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 which shows the number of Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit claimants who were expected to be affected by the policy over the next five years.There will be no cash losers as a direct result of this policy. Those claiming Child Tax Credit for more than two children born before 6 April 2017 will not see a reduction in those payments.

Child Tax Credit

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 25 January (HL4634), with reference to their commitment to publishing statistics relating to exceptions to the limit on Child Tax Credits support to two children, what is their criteria for "sufficient cases".

lord bates: Statistics on exceptions to the limit on Child Tax Credit support to two children will be published when there are enough cases to enable meaningful analyses and breakdowns of exception statistics into sub-categories (such as the type of exception), without compromising normal statistical standards regarding disclosure.

Child Tax Credit

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 25 January (HL4635), how they are measuring and monitoring the impact of the two-child limit for Child Tax Credits on the well-being of children in large families affected by that policy.

lord bates: The government is committed to supporting all families. The government provides a range of support in addition to Child Tax Credit. Child Benefit is paid for each child in a household, at £20.70 per week for the first child and £13.70 a week for each subsequent child. To help working parents, the government has doubled the free childcare available for 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours a week for 38 weeks a year (or 1140 hours per year), saving families in total around £5,000 a year per child. The government is committed to ensuring that the potential impacts on families of its policies are carefully taken into account as part of the policymaking process by applying the Family Test.

Personal Income

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 31 January (HL Deb, col 1584), on what data they base theirclaim that income inequality is lower than in 2010; and whether those data take account of housing costs.

lord bates: This statistic is based on the ONS’s ‘Household disposable income and inequality in the UK: financial year ending 2017’ report, released January 2018. It shows that the Gini coefficient for disposable income inequality is lower than it was in 2010.This measure of disposable income takes account of direct taxes and benefits, but does not take account of housing costs. The ONS do not publish a Gini coefficient on an after housing cost basis.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government which minister initiated or authorised the production of any cross-departmental Brexit studies; and in what areas such studies have been undertaken.

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government which departments were consulted on cross-departmental Brexit studies; and which ones gave input.

lord callanan: The Government is undertaking a wide range of analysis and preparatory work to support our EU exit negotiations and preparations. This analysis is a cross-Whitehall exercise, which has not been led by any single Department. On the analysis subject to the recent Humble Address, as with all the Government’s work on EU exit, DExEU plays a coordinating role, working with the relevant Departments across Whitehall. The modelling work leveraged the best expertise from each department. This analysis has only recently started to be shown to Ministers on the European Union Exit and Trade (Strategy and Negotiations) sub-Committee. This has been in order to get their input and feedback on how this analysis can be improved.

Women and Equalities

Public Sector: Equality

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have not bought into force section 1 of the Equality Act 2010; and whether they will now do so following recommendations by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

baroness williams of trafford: This Government is committed to creating a country that works for everyone, where success is based on merit, not privilege, and where everyone has the chance to go as far as their talents and hard work will take them. That is why the Government has in place a number of strategies to address social mobility and improve outcomes for those who experience disadvantage.Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 is the public sector duty regarding socio-economic inequalities, which the Government has no plans to commence in England.We believe that specific programmes designed to address social mobility problems in particular areas will be a more effective approach than blanket and potentially burdensome legislation of this type.

Part-time Employment: Pay

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking regardingreports ofstagnant pay progression for part-time workers, particularly with regard to the gender pay gap.

baroness williams of trafford: The majority of part-time workers are women, especially mothers of young children, and they often choose part-time work in order to balance work and family care. The unequal sharing of childcare responsibilities between men and women is a key driver of the gender pay gap. The Government is committed to tackling the gender pay gap, including through introducing a legal requirement for business to report their gender pay gaps in April this year. The Government has also taken measures to help parents to balance work and childcare. We introduced the right to request flexible working in 2014, and we have also introduced tax-free childcare and 30 hours free childcare for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds to support working families. We also launched a communications campaign on Shared Parental Leave on 12 February.In response to Matthew Taylor’s Good Work report the Government will launch a joint taskforce with industry on flexible working to unlock the potential in the labour market, including amongst women.